Warrior, medic, role model, and friend. Voiced by the talented Jeffrey Combs, Transformers Prime Ratchet was one of the best versions of the character to hit both small and big screen. Having taken a break from action, he’s back in Robots in Disguise. How does he stack up? Check out our gallery and see!

When we first found out that most of the Transformers: Prime cast was nowhere to be found in RID, I was saddened by the news. While the writing was sometimes subpar, the voice acting itself was always top notch, and many of the characters felt real to me. Ratchet was one of those characters. Jeffrey Combs is an amazing actor, and hear his voice in my head when I see Ratchet almost as much as I hear that of Don Messick. In RID, they have taken Prime Ratchet and made a successful stylistic update that still feels like TF:Prime Ratchet.

Vehicle Mode

Vehicle mode is evocative of an ambulance, though Ratchet lacks any actual medical symbols. What’s neat about this vehicle for me is not that it vaguely looks like a medical vehicle, but the remolding done to it in order to do so. The doors, rooftop, and rear end of the vehicle have been heavily remolded. The biggest change, and the one I find the most interesting, is to the legs, which become the roof of the very tail end of the vehicle. The back of the robot legs basically rotate around to become the rooftop. It feels unique, and I love it.

Robot Mode

Robot mode for Ratchet has a little more color. The red crest and lines on his shins break up a sea of white. Aside from the colors and new head, though, he’s basically Strongarm, and that is a mixed bag. He looks great, but the upper body articulation definitely has its limits. Fortunately, he stands very solidly and transforms easy enough, so I think it all kind of balances out, especially since he gets some pretty cool pistols to use in action poses.

Final thoughts

While RID Ratchet is a mixed bag, due to the limitations of the Strongarm mold, he’s a neat remold, and a nice iteration of beloved character. The changes in transformation are fun, and he will look great on the shelf as he bolsters your Autobot forces, or equally gives your young ones an awesome ally they can transform with minor effort. Will you be buying the domestic release of Ratchet, or will you be holding off for the TAV version? If you are on the fence stay tuned, as I will make a comparison gallery of both versions in the near future.